I am going to miss our discerner, Cara Nilsen. We both like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and art; she lived in Indiana—on purpose—for four years while in college. From the very start, our conversations were both fluid and wide-ranging, hopping from tangent to tangent until we realized how far we were from the start and how long we’d been talking. We could discuss difficult topics honestly and without fear, and she challenged several of my viewpoints respectfully but pointedly, and I grew because of it.
When she arrived at St. Francis, she seamlessly fit in from the very start. She unabashedly loves Jesus and the liturgy of the church (though the two are not mutually exclusive), and was eager to learn all that she could, from preaching to altar guild to attending vestry meetings. She gladly took on the role of teacher, co-leading a class with Shelley Reece about the Women’s Lectionary by Wilda Gafney, and helping Deacon Celeste on Sundays with the “Who is Jesus” class between services. She is an incredible student and servant, and we were blessed to have her with us.
Unfortunately, Cara and I never got around to talking about Lord of the Rings or Star Wars (though we did talk about art quite a bit). However, Cara did give me some amazing vintage Star Wars stickers that she’d received as a child (see picture above the article). These stickers have been across the country, packed and unpacked, put in storage, on a truck, unboxed, placed somewhere safe, lost, found again…and now they are mine, safe and sound in a secure location known only to me. The stickers are cool—look at the picture again if you doubt it—but her willingness to let them go after all this time is an incredible gift. That exuberant act of kindness is who Cara is. She is already a minister and pastor—as are so many people in our congregation—and she will be an amazing priest when she is ordained.
I am incredibly grateful that we had the privilege of walking with her for this part of her journey towards the priesthood. She will be missed, but I am excited to see where she goes from here, and she knows that if she ever wants to come back, there is always a place for her here at St. Francis.
The Rev. Jason Shelby
Rector